They Take Their Shots, We're Bulletproof
by choose joy xox
Summary: "Butterflies danced around in his stomach when she smiled at him. 'Thanks for saving me, Toby.' 'Anytime,' he grinned, feeling a lot like Superman." After twelve years of friendship, Toby Cavanaugh's feelings for his best friend start to change. When he looks at her he doesn't see her disability. The fact that she can't see doesn't matter. He loves her for what's inside.
1. Chapter 1

**SOOO... I wanted to do something fluffy and emotional and cute and DIFFERENT all at once. And this was born. This was inspired mostly by a post on 6 billion secrets. If you're on that site I'm sure you've seen it! I'll find a link and post it on my profile eventually.**

**The family situations are different in this fic. Toby lives with just his mom, who is obvi still alive. Emily and Spencer are cousins and they live together. Spencer's dad died for reasons... and Emily's dad died in a war or something. IDK, his death isn't really important. So the sisters decided it'd be easier to live together. No Aria, as per usual. Because I hate her. And Hanna and Caleb will be in here, but their situations are basically the same.**

**The updates for this will come slower until one of my other stories are done. But I wanted to give you guys a taste of what's to come!**

Chapter 1

TPOV

His face was set in a frustrated grimace. This wasn't exactly his ideal way to begin his last semester of high school, but he was the only one that he trusted to take care of it. His insignificant, bullying classmates could say whatever they wanted to about him, but when they messed with Spencer it was going too far.

And it wasn't like she even told him about it, because she wouldn't think that it was a big deal. He had to hear it from Hanna. She played off cynicism pretty well, but he knew well enough that inside she saw the best in people. She would have seen it as an accident, but he sure as shit didn't. And he would make sure that it didn't happen again.

He tore through the halls until he found the person he was looking for. "Kingston. Hold on."

Wren Kingston turned from his friends with a knowing smirk, like he knew exactly what Toby was upset about. "Yeah, mate? What can I do for you?"

He shoved the shorter boy into lockers, not enough to hurt him but hard enough to prove that he was serious. "You're going to leave Spencer alone."

"What did I do? I just complemented her. I'm sure she doesn't hear-"

He shoved him again, this time a little bit harder. "It was't so much the words as your hands on her, Wren."

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like she knew it was me for sure. She's kind of stupid, right?"

Before he even realized what was happening he punched him hard in the face. He was the opposite of violent, but the petite brunette that was sure to be waiting for him by his truck was more than enough of a reason for him to throw out his moral compass. He took off down the hall, leaving Wren behind. Because it wasn't as though he groped her in the middle of the school, but even touching her was too much. She couldn't _see _him. An unfamiliar hand was enough to send anyone into a panic, especially when you couldn't see who it belonged to._  
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He exited the school and couldn't stop his smile at the sight of her leaning against his truck. She might- she might never feel for him what he felt for her, but that was alright. Because Spencer Hastings was the kind of person that you just wanted in your life, no matter what the capacity may be. He made sure to make plenty of noise as he neared her, figuring that she had had more than enough scares for the day.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching out and lacing his fingers with hers. "You all good?"

"All good," she replied, her shoulders relaxing at his touch. She allowed him to help her into the truck, which she didn't usually do. Spencer was about every good thing in the world, but she was also stubborn to a fault. So he immediately knew that something was wrong. And he doubt that it was the Wren thing, because she would have just brushed that off. This was something different.

Once they were both in and he was guiding the truck out of the congested parking lot he voiced his concerns. "What's wrong?"

She shot him an annoyed smirk. "Too observant for your own good. I'm just stressed about school."

"UPenn again? Spence, you're going to be valedictorian. They'd be stupid not to let you in." He couldn't stop the pride from slipping into his voice. He was as proud of her accomplishments as he was his own, maybe even more so. She had been forced to overcome so many obstacles, but she never gave up.

"They'd be stupid _to _let me in," she countered. "I take a lot more work than the average college student," she gestured angrily up to her eyes.

He pulled up to the curve at her house and took one of her hands. He just held it until she looked calmer. "Are you ready to listen?" He murmured, not continuing until she nodded. "You're not anymore work, Spencer. All you need is for them to tell you what they've written on the board, which they should be doing anyway. You're so smart, and you'll be an asset to any classroom, not a burden. I wish you'd see yourself clearly."

"You're such a nerd," she muttered. But she finally had a smile on her face, so that was enough for him. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

He snorted. "As if I could ever forget that."

_He was excited. He zipped around the playground like an airplane, looking for his friends. First grade was going to be the best ever, he was sure of it. He saw Emily by the doors with a bunch of people. He grinned and ran over to them._

_But when he got closer he didn't like what he was hearing at all. "Are you stupid? It's not sunny out, take your sunglasses off!"_

_"My mommy said people wear sunglasses to hide ugly eyes."_

_"You look like a bug!"_

_Now that he got closer he could see that Emily looked near tears. "Leave her alone! She just can't see!"_

_He didn't like mean people. He especially didn't like people being mean to his friends. And he didn't like people being mean to nice people that weren't being mean back the most. He pushed past some kids and grabbed Emily's hand and the girl's hand and pulled them away. He looked around wildly, deciding that the spot under the slide would work. "What the heck was that?" He asked Emily breathlessly, his eyes darting between the two girls' faces._

_"A bunch of meanies," she sniffed, pulling the other little girl into a hug. "Are you okay, Spencer?"_

_She just shrugged. "Guess so."_

_He waited awkwardly until Emily's eyes flicker back to him. "Oh! Spencer, this is Toby!" She grabbed Spencer's hand and directed it to his shoulder. "He's one of my bestest friends."_

_He took her hand and shook it like he saw his mom do once. "Nice to meet you."_

_Butterflies danced around in his stomach when she smiled at him. "Thanks for saving me, Toby."_

_"Anytime," he grinned, feeling a lot like Superman._

He didn't know what she'd grow to mean to him, but slowly that little girl on the playground grew to be his best friend in the world; and more. Because he was sure as he was anything that he'd love Spencer Hastings for the rest of his life, although he doubt she'd ever feel the same way. "Kids are assholes."

"They just didn't understand," she offered up. "Kids shouldn't _have _to understand."

He rolled his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut, because he didn't have the right to be bitter over the way people treated her. "We're at your house. Do you want to go inside?"

"Only if you're coming too. I have a mountain of Calculus homework already, and I don't understand any of it."

He rolled his eyes again with a short laugh. "As long as you help me with my history paper."

"Deal," she laughed and opened the door. "I'm sure Em will need help with something too."

"Wait," he cautioned. "let me help you."

If he could see her face he was sure that she would be scowling. "I'm not an invalid, Toby. I can walk to my front door without help."

She always got like this when she was feeling down, and it always pulled at his heartstrings. She had nothing to prove, especially to him. He knew how capable she was. But there would be no talking her down. He just shut his door and hurried around, walking close enough that he could catch her if she needed him.

Her walking stick swiped back and forth in front of her as she walked slowly up the lawn, diligently making sure there was nothing in her path. "See," she persisted. "I don-"

But before the words could fully leave her lips her foot slipped on a damp leaf and shot forward. He wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her before she could fall to the ground. There was a long pause. "Maybe I do need some help," she reluctantly admitted.

He had to bite back a laugh as he guided her the rest of the way into the house. Emily greeted them as they walked through the door. "Guys I've been working on my Chem homework for ten minutes and my brain already hurts. Help?"

Spencer's laugh made him smile fondly. Emily shot him a knowing look before taking Spencer's other arm and pulling her into the living room. "Seriously, who cares about the periodic table," she whined, plopping on the ground. "Also, I'm hungry. And Hanna's coming over. Also The Voice is on tonight, so we have to finish by 8, and-"

"Breath," Toby teased her. "We'll be fine. I'll order a pizza, okay? You two get started." Emily had been one of his best friends his whole life, and those feelings only increased when he saw the care and compassion she employed when looking after her cousin. Even to the point that they watched vocal based shows together, something that Spencer could enjoy too. It was kind of beautiful.

"No-"

He interrupted Spencer with a laugh. "No Spence, I was going to actually forgo the pizza and try to feed you a giant bowl full of sausage."

She snorted, taking her sunglasses off and putting them on top of her head. "Go order the food, smart ass."

He dodged the pillow she threw at him with surprising accuracy and grabbed the phone in the kitchen. If Hanna was coming over he knew better than to get pizza from anywhere other than Papa John's, which was apparently the _royalty _of the pizza kingdom. He had some weird friends.

As he ordered the pizzas he watched Emily help Spencer set up her laptop and Braille keyboard. She could write, but it was messy. She had just barely made it through kindergarten when she had had the accident that took her sight. But she could do it if she had to. It just never come out all that neatly.

He finished ordering the pizza and gingerly lowered himself onto the ground next to Spencer. He didn't really care about studying. He just wanted to spend time with the best people he knew. His mom used to tell him that you could tell a lot about a person by the company that they chose to keep, and that must mean that he was pretty alright. Because there wasn't a better group of people anywhere in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY. HAPPY NEW YEAR. Drama starts next chapter :)**

**I'm going to bed, sorry this isn't the most elaborate author's note! Leave me pretty things to come back to!**

Chapter 2

TPOV

"Hanna," Emily laughed. "Stop! You didn't do that!"

She shrugged. "I totally did. And when he tried to tell me I had to wait until after the test I told him I'd pee in his Mountain Dew."

Spencer snorted and carefully reached for her coffee. He knew her careful movements came from a lifetime of the hot liquid scalding her as she accidentally knocked it over. He would have handed it to her, but it would have got him smacked so he resisted. "If anyone would pee in someone's Mountain Dew it would be you, Han."

She shrugged again, not bothering to deny it. "Mr. Reynolds is a dick." She glanced down at her phone with a smile. "Do you guys mind if Caleb comes over?"

"True love," Spencer sighed airily. "But yeah. Maybe Caleb can make this thing work so I can do my homework." She gestured to her computer. They had all taken turns trying to vanquish the blue screen of death, but Spencer couldn't see it and the rest of them were hopeless when it came to technology.

"Where's Tyrion?" He asked suddenly, struck by the absence of Spencer's seeing eye dog. She didn't take him to school, because although she could, she was concerned about those with allergies to dogs. And she knew Rosewood High well enough that he wasn't entirely necessary. People were, for the most part, considerate and helpful.

"At the vet," she frowned. "Mom said he had a cut on his paw. I actually should see if she'll take me to go get him while we wait for Caleb."

He rolled his eyes. If she could see how often he rolled his eyes at her she'd probably smack him. "I can take you, Spencer."

She smiled like the thought never crossed her mind. Did she not realize that he'd do anything for her? "Really? Are you sure?"

"I'm doing it for the dog, not you," he replied sarcastically. "Poor Tyrion's got it rough enough having to lead you around all day." He stood up and held out a hand out to her, gently pulling her up.

"I'm tired of homework. Let's go to the Brew," Hanna bounced back in to the conversation. "Actually you bitches have no choice, because Caleb's already meeting us there. And I'm too delicate to walk."

"Hanna, it's just down the street," Emily laughed.

"Does it look like these shoes are made for walking?" She gestured to her heels.

She was serious, and that was the funniest part. But she didn't even blink when the three of them dissolved into hysterical laughter. She was used to it.

Hanna lead Spencer outside as he gathered up his wallet and keys. As he moved toward the door Emily grabbed his elbow. "When are you going to tell her?"

He looked down at her, confusion coloring his face. "What are you talking about?"

She made a face. "You know what I'm talking about, Toby."

And he did. But he didn't want to talk about it, especially with Emily; who, no matter the outcome, had a front row seat to what was sure to be his humiliation. "She doesn't feel the same way, Em."

"How do you know?"

Telling her that he just knew never did any good. He just sighed and walked out the door. He wasn't being rude, and he was sure she understood. It was just frustrating being constantly reminded of what you couldn't have. And either way, he just needed Spencer in his life. He didn't care about much else.

_She had been at camp all summer, and he was literally going to lose his mind. Didn't anyone understand how he needed his best friend? But she was there in front of him. She was finally home. "Spencer!"  
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_She jumped and turned around at the sound of his voice. He scared her, and usually he would feel bad. But right now he was just too thrilled to have her back. "I missed you so much!"  
><em>

_She was speaking in a rapid fire mush of words and he was hearing none of it. He was just too thrilled to have her back. It was all he needed, really. He laid no claim to her other than best friend, but God, she felt just so right in his arms.  
><em>

_It was like he was finally home._

He just left without responding to her, quickly walking to his car. The drive to the vet's was a quick one, everything in Rosewood was close together. Almost everything one could possibly need was situated along the crowded main street.

He navigated his car to the curb in front of the discrete, brick faced building. "Do you want me to run in and get him, Spence?"

"We're going to walk the rest of the way!" Hanna announced suddenly from the back seat. "See you guys in a minute!" She waggled her eyebrows at Toby as she ducked out of the car with Emily.

He rolled his eyes at his friends' antics. "Want me to get him, Spence?"

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

One day she would be less reluctant to accept help from the many people that would do anything for her. Maybe she wasn't widely loved, but the people that loved her loved her deeply. "I'll be right back," he said simply. As he slid from the car and into the vet's office he remembered the day that she got Tyrion.

_"So I did a thing."_

_He snorted. The way that Mrs. Hastings talked always made him laugh. But the guilt on her face had him wondering what she possibly could have done._

_"What?" Spencer asked warily, echoing his questioning thoughts. It probably wasn't going to be anything that she was happy about._

_"I've been in contact with some people, and-" she hesitated. "I've gotten you a seeing eye dog."_

_"Excuse me?" This time Spencer's voice was cold, and he didn't blame her. No matter her intentions, Mrs. Hastings' actions signified a level of disbelief in her abilities. Although, he also could see how Mrs. Hastings thought this would help, because he would certainly feel better if there was something there to always look out for her._

_It was right in that moment he saw the cage in the corner. "A dog?"_

_Mrs. Hastings glanced at him before turning back to Spencer. "He'll be able to help you."_

_"I don't **need **help. Everyone already treats me like I'm pathetic, I don't need this to add to it with a freaking dog." The way her voice broke at the end killed him. She had to see how absolutely unpathetic she was._

_"Spencer-"_

_But he cut her mother off, because he was pretty sure that no matter what she said, Spencer'd get more upset. He needed to handle this. "Aw, but come on," he fake whined. "We can give him some bad ass name from Game of Thrones," he referenced the series they had just finished listening to. He took her hand, leading her over to the cage. A small dog sat up straight in the cage, its little nose sniffing the air around him._

_He smiled softly and gently put her hand through the bars, in front of the dog's nose. He smiled as he nudged her fingers slightly. He pulled back and watched them. "He's little and black with white paws and a little white around his eyes. His ears are floppy and around his face."_

_Her entire demeanor softened as the dog nuzzled his face into her hand. "Tyrion."_

_He smiled. "I like it."_

He smiled in the present as the tech walked an older, serious looking Tyrion through the lobby. He barked happily when he saw Toby, tugging a little on his leash. Tyrion was about as good a dog as it got. When he was with Spencer, when he had his service dog vest on, he was as serious as could be, but he also was a big, goofy idiot when he wasn't working. He smiled and scratched him behind his ears, leading him out to the car and into the back seat.

He heard her laugh happily as he walked around the car. Her feelings toward Tyrion had drastically changed over the years, and he was glad for it. He always felt more comfortable leaving her alone with him, because he knew that he would rip anyone's arm off if they tried to hurt her and that he was more than capable of leading her around.

Her laughter warmed him as he drove down the road, parking in the back of the Brew. "Are you bringing him in?"

She hesitated, shaking her head no. "You're here, and I hate taking him somewhere enclosed. Someone might be allergic, and I know he doesn't like it anyway. It makes him nervous."

He nodded, silently agreeing with her. They walked into the coffee shop, and he immediately caught sight of their friends sprawled out on the red couch and chairs in the corner. He sat Spencer down on the edge of the couch and took the chair for himself, reaching out for the coffee Hanna, coffee ordering goddess, had picked out for him. It was good and vaguely resembled something apple-y. "Good job, Han."

She mimed brushing the dust off of her shoulders and leaned back in to Caleb, her blonde hair falling in her face. Emily passed Spencer her usual trough of black coffee. "So I thought about doing my homework, but I'm kind of over it."

"Trying to earn your letter in procrastination, Em?" Spencer laughed, carefully sipping her drink.

"Something like that," she mumured, blowing on her tea.

"I have a joke," Caleb said suddenly, speaking for the first time since they all walked in.

He snorted, choking on his coffee. Caleb was a bit of an idiot. Caleb smirked at him. "What do you call a fake noodle?"

"What?" Hanna groaned, indulging her boyfriend.

"An IMPASTA!" He dissolved into a fit of very unmasculine giggles. His friends were great.


	3. Chapter 3

**Next chapter. Here you go :). Hope you guys like it! I wanted to take a situation from the show and go with it, so I hope I did it alright :).**

**Anyways, yep okay! Next chapter will be up soon!**

Chapter 3

SPOV

"Spencer!"

She started violently, having not heard anyone enter her room. She carefully put down her Braille text book at the end of her bed and pulled herself to a sitting position. "Em? What's up?"

Emily's hands found her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I wanted to warn you that Melissa's here."

She hesitated, wanting to choose the least offensive words possible. "Why?" She settled on simple.

"Apparently she wanted to bring home her new boyfriend, but he looks super creepy. He's all greasy hair and creepy smiles." Emily's hand slid down her arm and took her hand. "Do you want to come downstairs before the she devil comes up to get you?"

She nodded. Going downstairs to socialize was literally the last thing she wanted to do, but her mom had always babied Melissa. She would make sure that Spencer was there to figuratively kiss Melissa's face the entire time she was there. "How is she acting, Em?"

"Melissa? I only saw her for a second, but she was being her typical condescending, kiss ass self," she said softly as she helped Spencer down the stairs.

A lot of the time Spencer hated letting people help her, but she never had an issue when it was Emily; probably because Emily never acted like it was a burden to help her. "Great," she muttered. "Can you do me a favor and text Toby? I told him I'd help him with his History paper, but we better push it back an hour. You know how much he likes Melissa."

She laughed, obviously remembering the same thing Spencer was."Remember that time he dumped a bowl full of pasta on her for being rude to you?"

Apparently she wasn't. "I was actually thinking about the time he put a worm in her sandwich."

She felt Emily vibrating with laughter. "Did Melissa ever find out about that?"

"Did Melissa ever find out about what?"

She tensed. She loved her sister, she really did. But it was a love that was best experienced from a far. She knew that Melissa loved her too, but she had always suspected that her sister resented her for the accident that took her vision and their father's life. Maybe she blamed her, maybe she didn't like the attention that Spencer always got... either way, things were never the same between the girls after that day.

But she would play nice. She smiled in the direction of Melissa's voice. "About the care package we were planning on sending you for your birthday," she lied smoothly.

"Oh," Melissa paused, finding no fault to nit pick in Spencer's reply. "Emily, Spencer, this is my boyfriend Ian."

Emily shifted to presumably take Ian's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Emily was right. She couldn't see what he looked like, but he definitely sounded slick and creepy.

She jumped slightly as Ian's larger hand took hers. "Nice to meet you, Spencer."

Wasn't there etiquette for dealing with blind people? Shouldn't it be common sense not to touch someone who couldn't see you? "You too," she smiled tightly. "Is dinner ready?" She questioned, ready to get the awkward family time over with.

"Dinner is ready!" Her Aunt Pam yelled from the kitchen. "Get in here or go hungry."

Emily helped her to her chair. She didn't really need her help, and had it been anyone but Emily she probably would have told her so. But Emily was so patient with her, she could help her if she wanted to. It made things easier anyway. Soft fur brushed against her legs as soon as she sat down. "Get back, Tyrion," she murmured, her fingers scratching behind his ears. It was probably sending him mixed singles, but it didn't matter. She loved her stupid dog, despite her original feelings for him.

"You're spoiling him, Spencer. How's he going to take care of you if he's expecting you to take care of him?" Melissa's voice was caring, but her words were stupid. Tyrion was a dog, of course he needed her to take care of him.

"He does his job just fine, Melissa," she kept her voice as friendly as she could, but she was sure some of her frustration seeped through.

"Spence, Toby wants to know what time he should come over?" Emily asked her softly. The quiet, insecure way that Emily acted around Melissa only gave Spencer more ammunition for her dislike. She didn't know what Melissa had said to her, but she knew that she had to have said something to get her to change her demeanor like that.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Melissa beat her to it. "You still hang out with that loser? He's probably out popping the heads off of squirrels."

"Don't talk about him like that," she snapped. Toby was more than capable of defending himself, but she wouldn't let someone talk badly about him. Especially when he wasn't around to defend himself. "You know what? I'm not that hungry."

"Spencer, stop being so dramatic," her mother sighed wearily.

She loved her mom, she did. But she had always babied Melissa, and she was tired of it. She carefully scooted back and walked up the stairs and to her room, shutting her door behind her after she felt Tyrion slip in. She sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling the mattress shift as Tyrion jumped up next to her. She closed her eyes and shook her head, bunching her hand up in his soft fur.

Maybe she overreacted, but she couldn't bring herself to feel badly about it. No one would talk about Toby like that, not after everything he had done for her.

_"Come on!" She giggled, taking his hand. "Let's go in the water!"_

_Toby's hand tightened around hers, leading her in the right direction. "Are you sure? I bet it's cold!"_

_"Be careful, kids!" Her mother shouted from somewhere behind them, but she wasn't listening. Melissa and her mom could sit like boring people on the beach. She was going to play with her best friend._

_"Yeah! How big are the waves?" She frowned slightly, wishing she could see them. They hadn't been back here since last year, and she could see then. "Is the sky blue? Are there birds?" It was frustrating, not being able to see. She just wanted to know what was going on. And maybe she wanted to know what Toby looked like. It was stupid that she wouldn't even recognize her best friend ever._

_He tugged on her hand, sitting on the hot sand. "If you stretch your legs out a little tiny bit your toes will be in the water," he explained, not letting go of her. "The sky is really, really blue. Kind of like the crayon. And I don't see a whole lot of birds, but that's good. If we're going to get french fries later they won't steal them. And the waves are really big! Like as tall as you!"_

_She was going to tell him that they should go into the ocean, but she was distracted by a tickling on her foot. She shrieked and kicked out. "Get it off, get it off!"_

_He laughed and shifted slightly next to her. "It's just a hermit crab, Spencer."_

_"Oh," she muttered, lifting her face up toward the warm sun. "Toby?"_

_"What?"_

_She paused. "What do you look like?"_

_"Like any other boy," he replied promptly. "I'm boring."_

_"No way," she scoffed, scuffing her toes into the ground. "That's not even possible. What color are your eyes?"_

_"Really really blue," he repeated his earlier words with a laugh. "Kind of like the crayon."_

_"I wish I could see them," she said sadly._

_He nudged her with his shoulder. "Well, whenever you want to know what something looks like you ask me. I'll be like your own eyeballs."_

She jumped, torn from her memories as her bedroom door creaked open. "Hello?" When no one answered she pushed her glasses back down on her eyes. Tyrion flopped his head down on her lap like he always did when there was someone unfamiliar around. He wasn't an aggressive dog by nature, but she was pretty sure he'd rip someone's arm off if they tried to hurt her.

The floorboard by her bed squeaked, more prominently displaying someone's presence than the door squeaking open. "Who's there?" She demanded, kind of annoyed.

"It's Ian," the unfamiliar masculine voice explained. "You left upset, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

She didn't know whether to be creeped out or touched that someone cared enough to come after her. "Oh, well I'm fine. But thanks."

"I'm sorry about Melissa. She can be a bit insensitive," he said softly.

She smiled. Maybe she liked this guy. "Trust me, I'm well versed in the art of dealing with my sister. Where did-"

But anything else she might have said was cut off by the intrusion of his chapped lips against hers. His tongue ran against her bottom lip, looking for an entrance. She sat, frozen for a second before twisting and pushing both of her hands against his chest. The vibrations from Tyrion's growls traveled through her legs, and she felt him move. Ian let out a yelp and pulled away from her. "Fucking dog!"

She scooted back until she bumped into the wall, sure that she looked more panicked than the situation warranted. But she didn't care. That shouldn't have just happened.

"What the hell's going on in here?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Haha okay I really don't have anything to say. Just review and let me know what you think, okay?**

Chapter 4

TPOV

He was going to wait, he really was. But he had a bad feeling, and it could only be caused by Melissa's presence. He always suspected that the older Hastings blamed her sister for their father's death, but he wouldn't say anything. It wasn't his place. He would just be there to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Because that's what he did, and he did it happily.

_The ringing of the phone tore him from the latest installment of the Harry Potter series. He was about five years too late to jump on that bandwagon, but he was thoroughly enjoying them. He grabbed the phone from his bedside without bothering to look at the caller id. "Hello?"_

_"Toby? Hey it's Veronica Hastings."_

_That had him sitting up straight. "Mrs. Hastings? Is everything alright?"_

_"Melissa and Spencer had one of their blow outs, and I can't find Spencer anywhere. I was hoping that she was with you."_

_He knew that Spencer wouldn't want to be pitied, and he didn't necessarily feel bad for her. It sucked that she couldn't see, but it didn't define her. What he did worry about, however, was her wondering through the streets alone. She couldn't see, and she was just impulsive enough to think before darting across the street. That being said, he did have a fairly good idea where he could find her. "She's not here, but I'll go find her. I'll call you when I do, okay?"_

_He hung up before she could answer, pulling on his shoes in a smooth motion and striding out the door. He told her not to come out here alone, he told her he would bring her any time that she wanted. She was great about navigating places she knew, but this was too transient. Things changed from one day to another. He pushed through the treeline and scanned the edge of the lake, feeling relieved when he saw her a few feet away, her bare feet in the water._

_Tyrion sat next to her, looking about as happy about their current location as he was feeling. He perked up when he saw Toby, as though he were saying, 'bout time you got here, bro. He smiled faintly and sat down next to them. Tyrion whined and nuzzled his arm with his nose. He laughed quietly and ran his hand over the needy dog's head. "Spence, what's going on?"_

_She just shook her head, her face tilted up. "I just wish things were different sometimes."_

_He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Well, I'll be 16 next week, and my license is only a little longer than that. We I can drive we'll go anywhere we want to go. And your bitchy sister isn't invited."_

_She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, Tyrion wriggling out from between them. "Sounds perfect. Let's run away."_

Sometimes he was overprotective of Spencer, he knew that. Hell, everyone in the world probably knew that. But the shouts and lights coming from the second floor told him that maybe his fears weren't unfounded. He walked inside and took the stairs two at a time, finding the source of the yelling.

"I can't believe that you would do this to me!"

"I didn't do _anything._" Spencer's voice was calmer, but it was it was laced with an uncharacteristic tone of sadness; one that he didn't like at all. Her arms tightened around Tyrion as he growled and tried to move toward some tool by Melissa. "I swear, Melissa. It wasn't me."

He ducked into the room and stood by Emily, who reached out and touched his arm with a small sigh of relief. He looked at her questioningly, but she just shrugged.

"I would never hurt you like that, Melissa," the tool's voice sounded sincere, but if it was him against Spencer he'd be betting on Spencer every time. "She kissed me. I was getting ready to push her off when you walked in."

Spencer laughed bitterly. "Looks like you're into a real winner, Mel. I'm blind, remember? If I had done what he's accusing me of, it would have taken an act of God for my to find his lips in one go."

He felt his fists clench, and he had to remind himself that killing this bastard before hearing the whole story was probably not the best idea.

"Mom!" Melissa shrieked, whirling around to face their mother. "Are you seriously not going to do anything about her?"

Mrs. Hastings looked between her daughters for a long moment. "Spencer-"

"Are you kidding?" Spencer asked, her voice breaking at the end. "This is brilliant."

He had officially had enough. He grabbed Tyrion's leash, shouldered past Melissa, and squatted down next to them. Tyrion whined and nuzzled his arm with his nose. He smiled softly and reached out to put a hand on Spencer's arm. "It's just me," he murmured when she flinched away. When she relaxed he let her go and quickly hooked Tyrion's leash to his harness. "Come on," he said softly, helping her up, keeping a tight hold on the leash as they passed Melissa and her tool. He made brief eye contact with Mrs. Hastings, trying hard to keep the accusation out of his eyes. The woman was a wonderful mother when it was just one of her children she was dealing with, but for some unfathomable reason when she had them both she always chose Melissa.

He paused next to Emily. "Em, you coming?"

She looked over his shoulder for a second, presumably at her mother, before nodding. "I'll go grab my car." She ducked out of the room and was down the stairs before he and Spencer even started moving again.

"I won't forget this, Spencer! I'll never forgive you for ruining every good thing in my life." Melissa was way too smart to be acting so irrational.

He looked over his shoulder at her, giving her the coldest look he could manage. "Kind of like allowing your sister to be assaulted by your tool of a boyfriend, right? I sincerely hope no one ever shows you that level of disrespect, Melissa." He wasn't listening to her response. He took Spencer's hand and lead her carefully down the stairs.

"Did you get Tyrion?" She whispered, the tears that she refused to shed were more than obvious in her voice.

"I did," he confirmed, passing her the leash. "I didn't mean to come in there like that, Spence. If you want to stay-"

"Keep walking, Cavanaugh," she interrupted him. And so they walked together, climbing silently into the SUV that was both Spencer's and Emily's in name. Although, obviously only Emily drove it.

"Where are we going," Emily asked, pulling away from the curb.

"Just drive," Spencer said softly. "I can't go back there until he's gone."

He took her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "Let's just get a room at the Edgewood Motorcourt," he said softly. "My mom's home, and I doubt either Hanna's mom or Caleb's foster parents will be up for taking in the stragglers." As tense as the situation was, he couldn't stop a smile remembering the last time he was there with Spencer.

_"What does the sky look like today?" Spencer asked, holding onto his arm as they walked together behind his mom._

_"Um," he was glad she couldn't see the blush on his cheeks. For some reason, Spencer was turning his insides into a wobbly bowl of Jello. "The sky is blue, but not light blue. Like ocean-y blue. And there are really big, fluffy clouds that look like cotton candy and cotton balls. Maybe it's going to rain."_

_"I like the rain," she said softly. "It feels like it looks, so I don't feel so weird anymore. It's like I can see it."_

_"Who told you that you were weird?" He demanded, ready to take care of anyone that made her sad._

_He couldn't see her eyes, but he was sure that she was rolling them. "I **am **weird, Toby. No one had to tell me that."_

_"Hey!" Why couldn't she see what he saw when he looked at her? She was all kinds of awesome, the best friend ever, and pretty okay for a girl. "Stop it, Spencer. Seriously."_

_She paused. "What does the building look like?"_

_He smiled. It was enough for now. "Like a big house, but there's probably about a zillion rooms. And-"_

_His words were cut off by the slamming of a door. "Marion, damn it, stop!"_

_He yanked on Spencer's arm, pulling her away from his stampeding father. "Are your parents fighting again?" She asked him sadly._

_He didn't want to talk about it. "The building is red bricks," he said loudly over his parents' shouts._

_She gave him a quick hug. "What about the doors?"_

As they pulled in he promised himself that he would give Spencer a good night if it was the last thing he did. "Em, I'll go get the room. Can you call Han and Caleb? We might as well have some fun."


	5. Chapter 5

**Next chapter. Review if you want, I guess. I'd like you too, but whatever. Anyway, yeah. The next chapter is almost done because I got emotional writing this, but I don't know when it'll go up. Because it's super important and... just yeah. I just want it to be good. Read this.**

**Falling to Pieces will be my next chapter I work on, but I don't know when that'll get up because I'm really disappointed with the response that one's been getting. I'm trying, but it's hard to find motivation when no one reads something. So it'll be up when I find it good enough to post. I'm honestly fairly sure Exiles will be the next thing posted, just because I'm still the most excited about that one. But I'm TRYING them all.**

**I know I'm an asshole about the reviews. And I won't stop writing guys, but try to look at it from my perspective. I put a lot of work into this stuff for you guys. It'd be nice if you could just take a second to be like, well... it was good. Or if you hated it tell me. I don't even care.**

Chapter 5

SPOV

It was funny how safe she felt. That was the thing about being blind... it was really hard to feel secure. You couldn't see what was going on around you. You could judge so much based solely upon someone's body language, but she got none of that. Hell, someone could hold a gun to her forehead and she wouldn't even know it until they dislodged the bullet.

But she felt safe. It was largely due to Toby's presence by her side, because he had proven to her again and again that he would do what he could to protect her. She didn't want to need him, but sometimes she did; and he had done nothing but prove himself trustworthy. She trusted her other friends too, but it was just different with Toby.

_"Toby, are you coming to the movies with us?"_

_She scuffed her toe in the dirt and slowed her swing down. Hanna wasn't trying to be a jerk, she knew that she wasn't. There was no point inviting her to something that she wouldn't enjoy, but did she have to talk about it around her? If she had invited her she would have come anyway. She could just listen and make up what was going on in her mind. That was how she watched TV. But she understood, she really did. She just wished that she didn't have to have the constant reminder that her friends were going to be off doing something fun while she sat at home alone._

_"Nah, I have too much homework." Toby's voice wasn't where it was a second ago. He must have jumped off his swing like the idiot monkeys liked to do. They would break their necks one day, but at least they would have fun doing it._

_"Ah man. Too bad!" She sounded genuinely disappointed as her footsteps walked away._

_Toby didn't say anything for a minute, presumably he was waiting until she was out of sight. "Can I come over after school?"_

_"I thought you had homework?" She was confused._

_"No, I was just saying that. I would rather hang out with you."_

_She stopped her swing and looked over in the direction of his voice. "Why?"_

_"Because you're my best friend, duh. Besides, the movies wouldn't be any fun without you." He was moving again. The chains squeaked as he sat back down on his swing._

_She hesitated. "What would you want to do?" She didn't want him to be bored because of her. "Maybe you should just go with them."_

_"No way! I found this old box of cartoons that my mom used to watch when she was little, but it wouldn't be any fun to watch them alone. I'll explain everything to you, I promise. Please?"_

_She paused again, still not sure if he was just trying to be nice. But it did sound like fun so she nodded. "Okay."_

She could hear the thunder outside. Usually she hated storms, but how could she right now? Whatever had just happened at her house was horrible, but that was so small compared to all the good in her life. It didn't really matter what her family thought of her when her friends were in her life.

"So then what happened?" Hanna laughed. "But let me just say, I'm not surprised the pervy perv was into you over Melissa, Spence. Melissa looks like what I imagine the witch from Hansel and Gretal looks like; all scraggly brown hair and big nose. You're way prettier."

She chose to ignore how messed up it was that she wouldn't recognize her sister, or probably even _herself _if she looked into a mirror. "Tyrion tried to rip his arm off," she laughed. "He screamed like Caleb does when he sees a spider. And there was blood everywhere."

"Hey now," Caleb interjected with a chuckle. "I can do spiders, it's just _living _spiders that I have an issue with. The way they get all twitchy when they walk... it freaks me out."

She rolled her eyes beneath her sunglasses. Her friends were dorks. She flopped back and rested her head against the flat, hotel pillow. This day was all too much.

The pillow shifted as someone joined her, but she didn't have to see to know that it was Toby. "I'm fine," she muttered, knowing that was what he was worried about. Toby was as predictable as he was dependable.

She felt him lace their fingers together and lift them between the two of them. "Are you sure?"

Her stomach fluttered as she nodded. Even if she wasn't okay she wouldn't tell him, but she really was fine, largely because of his presence in her life.

What she wasn't sure of was when she fell in love with him, but what she did know was that she finally admitted it to herself when she realized how impossible it would be for her to let go of him. How was she supposed to live without him now?

Maybe she should tell him, but she wouldn't. Because she could never hold him back like that; even if he felt the same way by some unlikely chance, loving her would define his life. He would spend all of his time leading her around, protecting her. And she just wasn't okay with that. He deserved someone whole. He didn't deserve to be known as the guy who was held back by the blind girl.

_She missed coloring. She ran her fingers along the pointy tips of the crayons that she couldn't quite bring herself to throw away. It was stupid. It wasn't like she was using them anyway._

_"What are you doing?"_

_She jumped. The doctors told her that her other senses would eventually compensate to make up for her lack of sight, but if that were the case it hadn't quite caught up to her yet. She was embarrassingly easy to sneak up on. But it was just Toby, so she didn't mind. "Nothing," she muttered, fumbling for the drawer she found the crayons in._

_His agile fingers snatched the box out of her hands, and she was sure that her face turned a comical shade of red in the silence that followed. "What do you have these for?"_

_"I just-" she cut herself off. "Never mind."_

_He grabbed her sleeve. "There's a coloring book under here too. Want to make a picture with me? I was just thinking about how my fridge is getting really empty. I haven't gotten an A in awhile. My mom could probably use a picture. We can make one for your mom too."_

_"Toby-"_

_She could practically feel suppressed laughter as he tugged on her sleeve. He lowered her into a chair and then sat next to her. "Okay so the coloring book is Disney. Who do you want? The first one is of Mickey and Minnie kissing under an umbrella."_

_"That's good," she said softly. Some kind of emotion she couldn't quite identify was churning in her stomach._

_He passed her a crayon. "Okay this is black. Do you want them to be black like usual?"_

_She was nothing if not traditional. She nodded, but this time she was smiling. So he took her hand in his and helped her get the right spots colored in. It wasn't exactly the same, but in other ways it was so much better. Toby was the best friend that she had ever had, that was something that she was sure of._

She smiled softly to herself as she thought of the folded up, yellowed picture that she kept tucked away in the bottom of a drawer. She didn't know what it looked like, she didn't even know how well it came out. But what she did know was the it symbolized the kind of feeling that she never wanted to let go of.

"You two are super cute," Hanna laughed through a clicking noise. "Can I put that in Instagram, because I'm pretty sure some Internet savvy person would make an awesome meme out of that."

"Hanna," she groaned, but she wasn't quite annoyed enough to wipe the smile from her face. Things could have gone so differently for her, but these people made it okay. Yeah, she was still pretty uncomfortable over everything that had just happened. If anyone but Toby tried to touch her right now she might genuinely have a panic attack. But everything was fine. Everything was almost _good._

Suddenly everyone groaned. It was almost funny. "What happened?"

"The power went out," Toby explained in his soft voice, the one he reserved for explaining things she couldn't see to her. She wasn't sure that he even noticed that he used a different tone with her, but she liked it. It was one of her favorite sounds.

"What are we supposed to do in a dark hotel?" Hanna complained.

She took off her glasses. If no one could see her eyes clearly it didn't really matter if she kept them on or not. Tyrion yelped like he just noticed that it was dark in the room and nuzzled his way between her and Toby. "He's such an idiot," she laughed, scratching behind his ears. He licked her cheek in response.

"A big old baby," Toby agreed. "Maybe we should just go get some snacks. And we can sync watch something on Netflix. I brought my laptop, and Em, you have your tablet, right? We can all fit that way."

"Alright," Hanna said. "Em, Caleb, and I will run to Walmart. You two stay here."

"Why?" She asked curiously. She didn't want to move so she wasn't opposed, but she was curious as to how Hanna made her decision.

"The dog," she laughed. "I've seen that thing in the rain. Oh hell no. But if he gets left behind he'll be barking after you, Spence. So basically the only option is to stay here with him."

"Solid decision making." She listened to them gather their things and head out the door. As soon as the heavy door to the outside thumped shut she tilted her head in Toby's direction, knowing he'd want to question her further now that they were alone. "I really am fine, and I really don't want to talk about it."

"Just give me one piece of reassurance then," he muttered. "It stopped at that one kiss, right? He didn't do anything else?"

"No. And if he had I think that Tyrion really might have chewed off arm." Karma really was a bitch. You don't do things like that without asking, she didn't care the circumstance.

She could feel him shaking, and she didn't like it. "Are _you _okay?"

"You don't want to hear it," he said in a quiet, tight voice.

"Toby," she implored, tightening her hand around his.

He paused, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand. "I could literally kill him for doing that to you. I know it was- it was small, but it was still so not okay. Especially to _you. _And it could have been so much worse if Tyrion hadn't been there... or if I hadn't come over-"

She cut him off. "You're cute. But I really am fine, and dwelling on the maybes isn't going to do any good."

"I know Spence, but-"

"And I'm not worth any more than any other girl. Maybe Tyrion about ripping his arm off will stop him from doing that, or worse, to someone else." She hadn't thought about it that way, but it was so true.

"In the grand scheme of things you might not be more important, but to me you are. I just- God, Spence it was so small, but it's just making me think of what I would do without you. Where would I be if I did't have you in my life?" He sounded emotional. And she got it. Even though she was sure he didn't feel the same way about her, she knew that she was one of his best friends.

"I'm fine," she soothed. "I'm here, and I'm fine."

"No," he muttered. His gentle hands wrapped around her upper arms and carefully pulled her up. "That's not what I'm saying, Spencer. I'm so glad you're okay, but that's not what I mean." His fingers brushed her hair out of her face. This felt different somehow. "Spencer, when I saw what he did to you, when I saw how they reacted... and even just sitting her while Emily recounted the story... All I could think about was losing you. And I can't do that. I can't lose you. Life is so uncertain. Every single day people die. Things happen that we can't come back from. And I don't want that to happen to us without you knowing how I really feel. I just- Spencer I love you. I've loved you every single day. I don't even know when I realized it. It was slow, and then it hit me all at once. But what I do know is that I can't live without you anymore. When- God, when we first met I had no idea how important you'd end up being to me."

She was frozen. She wasn't even sure that she was breathing. She could hear her heart beating. Hell, she was pretty sure that she could even hear his heart beating. She could hear everything and nothing. She didn't know what to say, but as always, Toby took care of that for her. He always took care of her when she didn't know what to do. "You're smart. You're the smartest person I've ever met, and I know that means you're probably too smart to love someone like me back. I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I don't think that I could have held it back any longer. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be manipulative or-"

It was funny how when he was talking about herself she could feel so unsure and confused, but the second his insecurities creeped in there was nothing but certainty in her mind. She leaned forward and hoped with everything in her that her lips didn't end up on his eye or something. By the grace of God her lips met his and she kissed him gently without much confidence. It took him a second but he responded enthusiastically. One of his hands buried itself in her hair and the other supported her waist, his fingers grazing the exposed skin where her shirt had ridden up.

Tyrion whined and nudged her arm with his wet nose causing her to giggle into Toby's mouth. There was something about this moment. Right here, right now she felt complete. Nothing had ever felt like this before. It was like this was where she belong, where she was finally whole. It didn't matter that she was blind. It didn't matter that her whole family probably hated her now. All that mattered was that Toby didn't. Toby didn't hate her, and that meant everything in the whole world.

She didn't know how long they had stayed like that. It felt like forever and like no time at all had passed. She was exploding with emotions. She wanted to scream and she wanted to keep him here in this room and never leave again. How could something feel so personal and so exciting all at the same time?

He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. She slid down and buried her face into his neck. His ragged, hot breath warmed her neck. She closed her eyes and smiled, any lingering fears in regards to what had happened earlier were gone. "I wasn't expecting that," she whispered.

"Me either."


	6. Chapter 6

**So I had to make this really really cute to make up for the torture that was Falling to Pieces. But yeah. This is cute as hell. Honestly, most of this story is hella adorable, but there is some serious drama coming. I just want you all to remember who is writing this :)**

**Okay, so I'm being nice and posting this even though it's PLL Day. Review! Don't make me regret it!**

**ALSO I AM SO SCARED FOR PLL TONIGHT AND I DONT KNOW WHY :X. IT'S GOING TO BE BAD, I KNOW IT.**

Chapter 6

TPOV

It felt like he was flying. His chest was on fire, but in a good way. The kind that started out painful, but then fizzled out into the best kind of warmth; like the hot cocoa your mom made you on a snow day or curling up under a blanket that just came out of the dryer. It wasn't as thrilling so much as it was like coming home. He was home. He hadn't meant to tell her that he loved her, but now that it was out he couldn't imagine how he had managed to hold it in for so long.

"Toby," Spencer whispered, pulling her lips from his and sliding her face down, pressing it into his neck.

"No," he murmured, brushing a hand over her hair. He wanted to move her back, to look at her, but her warm cheeks against his neck was all he wanted. "Spence, don't try and talk yourself out of this."

"I'm not," she mumbled, pulling away slightly, keeping her head down like she always did when she was trying to hide. "But you should think about this."

He tilted her face up. Not because she could see him, but because he wanted to see her. If she was trying to spare his feelings, if she really didn't want this, he had to know. But he saw nothing but concern on her face. "I have thought about nothing but this for the past year, Spencer. I promise you that there's nothing that I want more."

"But I'm blind," she whispered.

He was confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"

She laughed bitterly. "It has everything to do with this. I think that I've loved you ever since that day on the playground, but I never let myself admit it until recently. But God, Toby you deserve so much better. You deserve someone who can drive a car, someone who can get around without help, someone who know what you _look like. _ You deserve someone who can see, and I'm just not that person."

"Hey," he whispered, framing her face with his hands. "You see me better than anyone ever has."

_He still felt gross. He put a stop to it before she could do anything too bad, before she could do what she apparently wanted to do. But he still felt gross, and three showers did nothing to take care of it._

_He sat down between Spencer and Caleb and just pulled out his Algebra text book, not really wanting to talk to anyone. He didn't know what to do. Did he tell his mom? Or did he just let it go and hope that she didn't really tell his dad what she threatened to tell him._

_"Did you not finish that yet?" Caleb laughed from next to him. "Man, you're in deep shit. It took me forever." He paused and pulled the papers out of his folder and passed it to him. "You owe me one."_

_"Thanks," he muttered, keeping his eyes on the book._

_The conversation picked back up, and he didn't so much relax as just lose himself in the dull murmur of voices. He didn't know what was wrong. Nothing happened, but he still felt so wrong._

_"Toby, are you okay?" Spencer put a soft hand on his wrist to get his attention._

_He froze. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. How did she always manage to see right through him? She couldn't even see him, but she still saw him better than anyone else. "Not really," he whispered, his voice breaking at the end._

_"Come on," she murmured, sliding off the end of the bench and taking his hand. She started leading him, but he took over and brought them to a bench just outside the cafeteria. "What happened?"_

_He hesitated. Was he overreacting? She said that he was. But this was Spencer, she would listen to him even if he was being crazy. And if he was she'd tell him. "I think dad's new wife's daughter, my step sister I guess... I think she tried to kiss me."_

_"You think?" She asked him softly, taking his hand. "Are you okay?"  
><em>

_He bit down on his lip and looked at the ground. "She put a hand on my chest and leaned in whispering about how sexy my eyes looked. I don't think I've ever felt so wrong in my life." He largely ignored the second question because the answer was a resounding no.  
><em>

_There was a long pause, but instead of answering she shifted and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't talk, but she didn't need to. Her hug was doing more than any words ever could. He felt himself relaxing in her embrace, and for the first time since it happened he started to feel okay. Because if Spencer felt like he was worth something then maybe he was._

Not only was she always able to comfort him when he felt like nothing in the world was going right, but she also gave him the courage to get out of a scary situation before anything could get worse. If he had left it to his own head he might have trivialized it away, allowing Jenna to come back at him with a vengeance. Instead he moved on, told his mom, and had seen Jenna only a handful of times since then.

And maybe that was why he had such a strong reaction to Ian's kissing her. Because he knew first hand the kind of effect something like that could have on a person.

She just shook her head. "You deserve better."

Why was it that the best people in the world never saw how wonderful they are? "There isn't anyone better."

"Toby-"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "We all have our baggage, Spencer. Sure, I wish you could see more than anything. I would rip out my own eyes and give them to you if I could. But just because your baggage is a bit more visible doesn't make it any more insurmountable."

"I just wish I could see you," she whispered, dropping her head back down to his neck.

He smiled and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "You aren't missing much."

She laughed quietly, the sound warming him. "I really doubt that." She hesitantly ran her fingers under his shirt, along his waist. "You feel pretty attractive."

He shivered at the feel of her cold fingers against his skin, causing her to giggle. He liked that he could do that to her, he liked that he could make her happy. "So, should we give this thing a shot?"

She hesitated again. "If you're sure."

A response wasn't what she needed. He learned long ago that Spencer best responded to acts of love over words of affirmation. He framed her face with his hands and kissed her again, this time more sure of himself. His chest fluttered like it had the first time he saw her, but now he fully understood it. It wasn't the fact that he had rescued this new, mysterious damsel in distress. It was _her, _and it always had been her.

The door to the hotel opened up, but neither of them were quick to pull apart, his lips ghosting over hers for another minute.

"Is this real life? Am I dreaming right now? Have all our wishes and prayers been answered?"

"Hanna," Emily laughed, but he caught sight of her face over Spencer's shoulder; and her elated grin was just as happy as Hanna sounded.

"No," Hanna interrupted. "No, no one is going to burst my bubble here. I have shipped these two together since I was ten years old. We could practically cut their sexual tension with a knife."

Caleb shrugged, speaking for the first time. "Well, that's true."

"You guys are assholes," Spencer laughed, pressing her forehead to his for a long moment before pulling away and leaning back against the pillows. "Why didn't you just say something instead of watching us dance around each other for years?"

"It was funny," Hanna said simply, plopping down on the other bed. "So we got enough food to feed about six armies. Who wants Doritos?"

He just chuckled as he leaned against the pillows next to Spencer. Somehow everything was suddenly right in the world. Spencer still had family drama to deal with, but they could take care of that tomorrow. Right now she finally knew how he felt, and she returned those sentiments. That was worth everything in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope you guys like it! Let me know what you think!  
><strong>

**Also, literally I'm going to lose my shit defending Toby. I really am. This is mostly a tumblr problem, but I've gotten a little of it in reviews on various stories. Nicest way I can say this, if you think that Toby doesn't have a plan... if you don't see that he is still doing everything that he can to protect Spencer, then I don't know what to say to you. He has proven who he is over five seasons, and he's done nothing to deserve all the hate he's getting. But if you would like to discuss this further shoot me a PM. :)**

Chapter 7

SPOV

It was like something inside of her changed. It wasn't that she felt whole, because she hadn't felt that way since she lost her vision. But it was as close as she had felt since that day.

_Everything hurt. That was the first thing that she noticed. From her head to her toes, every part of her body ached. But that was a trivial detail when she opened her eyes to blackness. She whimpered quietly, as scared as she had ever been._

_"Spencer?"_

_She jumped at the noise and jumped again when she felt a gentle hand on her face. "Mommy?" She whispered, her voice quivering. "Mommy, why can't I see?"_

_"Do you remember what happened?" She asked her quietly._

_"No," she started to cry. "No. Mommy, I can't see. Why can't I see?"_

_She felt her hand run through her hair. "You were in a car accident, Spencer. Your eyes- they were damaged. The doctors aren't sure if you'll be able to see anymore."_

At that moment she lost herself, but somehow Toby was helping her to feel whole again.

"Are you ready to go home?" Emily asked after dropping Hanna off.

"Not if Melissa's still there. I'll come back here myself if I have to." She truly loved her sister, bust he couldn't be around her right now without feeling the immensity of her betrayal.

She felt Toby's arm snaking around her waist. "Just drop us off at my house, Em. I'll bring her home later."

Just twenty four hours ago she would have had to force herself to stay upright, but so much had changed. She leaned into his side and turned her face into his neck. It was comforting, the most comforting thing that she had ever experienced. She knew that her mom loved her, but she would also pick Melissa over her. It was just a fact. But Toby? Toby would always be on her side, and nothing felt better than that. She was indescribably grateful for his presence in her life.

_She was crying. She knew that it was stupid, but she couldn't stop herself. She ran her cane along the ground until she found the built-in, brick bench. She carefully lowered herself down and curled up into a ball. She couldn't hide the fact that she was emotional, but perhaps she could hide her tears._

_She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her skin. It stung, but it didn't help. Nothing helped. It had seven years, but it still hurt as bad as it had the day it happened. Why did it still hurt? Why couldn't she move on?_

_"Spencer?"_

_Her heart jumped even as her body clenched at the sudden voice. She felt his hand on her arm, but she didn't relax. She didn't know that she could even if she tried. ''I'm fine."_

_Toby wrapped a solid feeling arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. "No you're not," he muttered, running a soft hand up and down her bare arm. "and why should you be? I'm so sorry."_

_"You remembered?" she whispered, a warm feeling spreading out from her chest. It did more to bring her mind from the memories of crunching glass and no one being around to hear her screams that anything else had. She didn't know why she expected anything less from him.  
><em>

_He passed her a warm cup. "I would have been here earlier, but I stopped to get you some coffee. I thought that it might help."_

_"Thank you." And it wasn't for the coffee. What would she do without him?_

Emily and Toby's soft, murmuring voices were the background noise to the frantic working of her mind. She _had _agreed to this, and she didn't regret it. Even if it wasn't something that she had allowed herself to admit, even to herself, until recently, it was still so true. But she was terrified that he would grow to resent her, and now she didn't think that she would ever be able to live without him now.

There was something about Toby, he was so kind and gentle, but he was also so loyal and protective. He was the best that humanity had to offer and she was decidedly not. He deserved better than her, vision limitations aside.

"Spence? We're at my house, so I'm going to help you." He pressed a familiar piece of rough fabric into her hand. "Here's Tyrion."

"Do you want me to take him home with me, Spence?" Em asked from the front seat.

She snorted. "So Melissa can skin him and eat him for dinner? No thanks."

Toby laughed. "Well that's morbid. We're definitely taking him now." He grabbed her forearms and gently steadied her as she shifted from the car. Tyrion's soft fur brushed against her legs as he followed her and Toby. "Do you want to hang out here or go somewhere?"

"I'm kind of hungry," she admitted. She didn't want to be needy, but he would notice if she didn't say anything. He was dependable in that way.

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Okay the steps are right here. Three of them, remember?"

She shivered at the closer contact and leaned into him as she stepped. Usually they made her nervous because they were kind of steep, but she honestly didn't think that it was possible to feel more secure in that moment.

The door squeaked as it opened and he guided her inside first. "Mom?"

"In the kitchen, baby!"

She smiled. She loved Mrs. Cavanaugh, and she was glad that Toby had her. He deserved more happiness and smiles than he was allowed in his early years. Toby linked his arm with hers, but it wasn't necessary because Tyrion loved Mrs. Cavanaugh as much as she did. She felt him perk up and the leash jerk as he led them to the kitchen.

Mrs. Cavanaugh let out a squeal that was akin to something that a ten year old girl would make. "Is that my favorite dog in the whole world? You two can go, Tyrion and I need to bond."

Toby laughed. "If we leave he'll start yelping like you stabbed him or something. He doesn't like to be away from her."

"Details," she muttered, her voice closer than it had been before. From the feel of Tyrion's tail smacking into her leg she could only assume that Mrs. Cavanaugh was petting him. "Are you two hungry? I was just getting ready to make some sandwiches."

Toby spoke before she could downplay the fact that it felt like her stomach was digesting itself. "Yep. We're starved. Spencer's stomach sounds like gravel in a blender."

She gasped and elbowed him in the side. "Maybe I'm a little hungry," she admitted with a laugh.

Toby walked her over and helped her onto a stool. "I'll be right back."

As soon as his footsteps faded Mrs. Cavanaugh opened the fridge. "So what's going on between you and my son, Spencer?"

She coughed. "Excuse me?" She thought that they were being subtle. It wasn't that she minded that Mrs. Cavanaugh knew that her relationship with Toby had changed, it was just indescribable that she realized that anything was different between them when they were acting exactly the same. "Um-"

"Relax," she chuckled. "Your mom and I have seen this coming since you were ten. We actually had a bet on when you'd end up together. Speaking of that, she owes me $20."

"Are you kidding?" She laughed, but she felt her face heating up. How was this obvious to everyone but her?

"Yes, but I'm starting to think that I should have made a bet."

She heard Toby's footsteps come back into the room. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We're busted," she shrugged, still laughing.

"What? Oh-" he sounded like he was cringing and it was only increasing her laughter. "Um, I love you, mom?"

"Yeah, yeah," Mrs. Cavanaugh muttered, but she could hear a smile in her voice. "Ham or turkey?"

It was weird that it took something so mundane for her to realize it, but maybe everything would be okay.


	8. Chapter 8

**Guuuuys. This story is getting so cute. It's giving me a tooth ache, I swear to God. Exiles will be up sometime tomorrow, I think, just in case you were wondering. Or maybe Wednesday actually. Posting on PLL Day is a baaaaad idea, I've learned.**

**ANYWAY, review and let me know what you think.**

**And, in case you were wondering, probably the next three chapters of this will span the rest of their senior year. The big chunk of this story is going to take place post-high school**

Chapter 8

SPOV

She lay flat on her back, her face up toward the ceiling. It was weird, but for the first time in her life she felt like a teenager. Her chest was fluttering like it was full of hummingbirds flitting between flowers. It felt kind of like her heart had turned into a volcano on the brink of eruption. She was so full of something... love... happiness... there was no way that she wasn't going to burst soon. She was on full.

"Spencer, I've been sent to collect you."

She sat up so fast her back cracked. "What are you talking about?" Furthermore, her mom never came into her room without announcing herself first. This was weird.

"By your gentleman caller," she sighed airily. "He offered two pigs and a bushel of hay for your company this evening, so I don't see how you can refuse him. The pigs alone will sustain us through the harsh winter."

Something weird happened to her mom when she drank too much coffee. "Is that your way of saying that Toby wants me?" She clarified with a laugh. "Because you could have just said that."

She snorted. "Just come on. He's downstairs."

"Um, why didn't he come up here?" She was confused, but she complied. She pulled herself up and walked slowly in the direction of her mom's voice until the familiar hands clamped down on her arm.

She carefully walked down the stairs alongside her mom. Most of the time she hated being led around like a dog, but sometimes it was necessary. And as often as she walked up and down her stairs, she would never quite feel comfortable doing it on her own. She was pretty sure that Toby and her mom were the only ones who realized that, and it certainly wasn't because she said anything.

"I think that he was going for the authentic experience," she chuckled. She tightened her grip on Spencer's arm as they stepped onto the carpet of the living room.

Her mom's hands were almost immediately replaced by another familiar pair. She smiled and leaned against his sturdy chest. "Hi," she gave a breathy giggle.

Two strong arms wound around her waist. She felt him sigh contently. "I missed you."

"It's been maybe five whole hours," she laughed.

He didn't say anything for a long moment. "Do you want to hang out with me tonight?"

Everyone was taking a ride on the crazy train tonight, but still she smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"I have some food in my truck. I was thinking that we could be super cheesy and have a picnic?" He almost sounded nervous. It was cute.

Her smile only grew. "You're adorable. Let's go."

"Make good choices, kids. No one comes home with herpes." Mrs. Hastings laughed from somewhere behind them.

She snorted. "Are you suggesting that one of us already has herpes?"

"Details!" Was the last thing she heard before Toby lead her out the door.

He paused on the stoop. "Do you want me to grab Tyrion?"

She shook her head. Usually she would want him. He was like the security blanket that she was scared to be without. But she trusted Toby implicitly. He wouldn't let her fall. "Where are we going?"

"I thought to the lake." He murmured as he helped her into the truck.

They had been officially together for a week, and it was still blowing her mind how thoughtful he was. The lake was one of the places that she loved the most because you could feel it almost as well as you could see it. The smell of the water, the sand between her toes, the sun warming her shoulders. She didn't have to see to be able to experience it.

_"Why do you have that look on your face?"_

_Hanna was basically one of her best friends in the whole wide world, but she didn't know how to be sensitive. Most of the time she loved that about her, but right now she just wanted to be sad without having to explain her sad._

_"Leave me alone," she muttered, scuffing her toe in the sand. Maybe she should feel happy that Emily's friends accepted her into their little group. But right now she was just feeling sorry for herself. She couldn't run with them. She couldn't make castles or dig for shells with them. She couldn't even go in the water with them, because her mom was being a paranoid freak. Everything was just bad._

_"You know what I like about the beach?" Toby said softly._

_"What?" Her voice sounded kind of desperate even to herself. But to his credit, Toby didn't say anything. He was 8, but he was still the most considerate person that she knew._

_She felt him sit down next to her and he took her hand in his. "If feels just like it looks. You aren't missing anything. You can feel the lake-y wind. I don't know the word, but I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about." He took her hand and put it on the ground, throwing a handful of sand on top of it. "And that? You don't need to see sand to know exactly what it looks like."_

_She felt like she was going to cry, but she wasn't going to do it in front of her friends. Instead she gave a shaky smile. "Thank you," she whispered._

When the truck stopped he jumped out and came around to her side of the truck. He opened the door and took both of her hands, helping her out. "I'm going to help you to the picnic table and then I'll come back for everything else, okay?"

After two weeks he was already in the running for the best boyfriend in the world status. She tightened her grip on his hand, pulling him to a stop. She didn't know how, but she knew that he was looking at her. She stood on her tip toes and leaned forward, hoping he would meet her halfway so that she didn't embarrass herself. The second that their lips collided she framed his face with her hands, arching her hips toward him. She had never felt like this before. It was a feeling that she couldn't quite describe. It was like they were the only spots of color in a world of black and white. It was like everything was on fire, even her heart. Everything was different now.

She pulled away, gasping for air, her lips hovering just above his. _I love you. _Her heart was urging her to tell him, but her mind held her back. They had implied it that night in the hotel, but it was a simple declaration that they had never held back from each other; even when they were just friends. But this was different. It wasn't just words. It wasn't just the way that you sign off a phone call or words you whisper to let someone know that you care about them. She was uncontrollably and irrevocably in love with Toby Cavanaugh. She was certain of it. But it was too soon. She bite down on her lip and leaned against his collar bone. "This is perfect," she murmured instead all the while her heart continued to sing. _I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you._

He let out a ragged breath. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded even though she was perfectly content to stay like that for the rest of her life. He dropped down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back."

As soon as he was gone she immediately felt his absence.

_"Are you scared?"_

_She laughed. "I mean, I can't see where you're taking us. So really, I'm only scared because you could be sending me on a plunge to my death."_

_She felt him laugh behind her. "Well then I'm coming with you. Are you ready?"_

_She grasped the edges of the sled and leaned back against him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other was presumably ready to push them off at her affirmative reply. "Yes," she giggled. "But if I break my legs you better piggy back me back into town."_

_"Deal!" He pushed off and suddenly her stomach was in her throat as the sled seemingly caught some air. Cold air and snow blew past her face as they raced down the hill._

_She laughed and leaned back. Toby tightened his grip on her as they literally caught air that time, the sled coming back to the ground with a thump. Their sled slowed down and skidded the side before coming to a complete stop. "That was awesome!"_

_"I told you so!"_

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

She smiled and shifted in the direction of his voice. "Just about the first time you took me sledding."

"It's about a million degrees today, so I can definitely see why you're thinking of that."

Her sarcasm was definitely rubbing off on him. "Stop the sass and tell me what you got in that bag. I can smell it from here."

Honestly it didn't matter what he had in the bag. Because this was perfect. Every single piece of this was perfect. She listened with a smile as he detailed the menu, and tried to keep her mouth shut. She had listened to every episode of How I Met Your Mother. Telling someone that you loved them on the first date was the surest way to ensure that you didn't have a second one.


	9. Chapter 9

**This is cute. This is so cute and I'm dying and I have nothing else to say. I'm just going to post this.**

**I haven't heard back from my other interview yet, but I just got invited to a final interview with Teach for America and I'm losing it. Guys this is an insane opportunity and I'm flipping out. I hope I get it!**

Chapter 9

TPOV

It was funny how quickly things changed. In the past Christmas was a family day. He didn't really want to do anything other than spend the day with his mom, but that was all different now. He kept his eyes on clock as it slowly ticked its way toward 5 o'clock. "Mom?"

His mom laughed over her hot chocolate. "Go see Spencer."

He grinned despite himself. Somehow she always managed to read his mind, although he doubted that he was hiding his desire to see his girlfriend very well. Spencer's family spent Christmas day with her grandma in Philadelphia, so he had to wait.

Presents were basically his favorite thing. He was like a little kid, tearing through the wrapping paper. He didn't care if he was 35, he'd still probably wake up at 6 am to open presents on Christmas morning. But today all he could think about was giving Spencer her present. It wasn't the first present that he had even gotten for her, obviously. But it was their first Christmas together, and there was something about the situation that was higher pressure.

_He laughed and dodged the snow ball that Emily threw at his face. "Emily, you've maybe got the worst aim in the world." He almost told her that she threw like a girl, but no one threw a snow ball harder than Hanna, so he didn't think that was much of an insult._

_She just shrugged and let out a halfhearted laugh. "Go see Spencer, Toby. She's sad and she won't talk to me."_

_He followed her eyes and felt a twinge of sadness over not noticing sooner. He was a crappy friend. He trudged through the snow until he was in front of her. "Spence? Are you okay?"_

_"Did you know that I never got to see snow?" She asked him softly. "We lived in North Carolina before we moved here, and it was much hotter"_

_He sat next to her with a sad smile. "You are missing much. Remember when we were younger and we went to the beach?"  
><em>

_She smiled. "And you told me it feels just like it looks?"_

_"Snow is even worse," he explained. He shoved a piece in her hand, watching it melt over her smooth skin. She really should be wearing gloves. "What color do you think it is?"_

_"White," she smiled. "I did see it in movies before. I just wish I could see the real thing."_

_"Trust me," he laughed. "Ninety percent of snow is how it feels. It just looks like fluffy cotton."_

_"Hey, have a present," she changed the subject quickly and tossed a small package in his lap._

_"Nice wrapping," he teased and carefully removed the tape, revealing a small stack of classical CDs._

_She nudged him with her shoulder. "I just thought you would like them, I don't know."_

_His smile stretched into a grin. "I love them." He dug the tiny package out of his pocket and pressed it into her hands. As she unwrapped it he quietly explained what it was. "It's a necklace. The charm is an owl, just because it reminded me of you. You're so smart, and even though you're in the dark a lot of the time... it doesn't stop you. I don't know, I just thought maybe-"_

_She laughed and took his hand. "I love it!"_

He pulled in behind Emily's SUV and put his truck in park, just taking a calming breath. Even getting to see Spencer set his heart flurrying like a hummingbird. He climbed out of a the truck and walked up the driveway, his heart hammering against his chest. He hadn't seen her in two days, and it was two days too long.

"Toby Cavanaugh, be still my beating heart," Mrs. Hastings yanked open the front door with a dramatic flourish. "I feel like we haven't been graced with your presence in about eighty-seven years."

He laughed and slid inside around her. "I miss you too, Mrs. Hastings. Is Spencer here?"

"She's in her room wrapping your present," Emily yelled from the couch. "It's pretty awesome. Can I borrow it?"

He just laughed again and climbed the stairs, too eager to see Spencer to focus on much else. He put a hand on the cold door handle and pulled it open. As soon as he saw Spencer sitting on her bed tension that he didn't even know he was feeling evaporated. But it was always like that with them. She was the most calming thing in his world.

"Hello?" She asked, turning her face toward the door. Tyrion lifted his head from her lap and turned to look at him, his tail thumping happily on the bed.

He smiled and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. "Hey," he murmured, sitting down across from her.

She grinned, pushing Tyrion off the bed and crawling across the bed into his arms. "I missed you," she murmured into the skin of his neck.

He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her distinctive scent. "You're so beautiful," he breathed. He loosened his grip on her for a second and pulled the long, thin box from his pocket and pressed it into her hands. "I know I'm getting cliche with the necklaces, but-"

She cut him off with a soft kiss. "I'm sure that it's perfect." She opened the box and ran her fingers over the charm. "A Scrabble piece?" She whispered.

He smiled and nodded. The number of times the dominated Scrabble- there really wasn't anything more perfect. Sure, they had to play with teams, but that didn't matter at all. It was still their thing. "There's an S on the piece," he murmured. "If you don't like it I-"

She shook her head. "No, it's perfect. You're way better at this kind of thing than you think you are. Can you put it on for me?" She twisted so that he had access to her neck.

He brushed her silky curtain of hair aside and pressed a gentle kiss to her neck, his lips lingering for a few moments longer than he usually would. He took the necklace and draped it over her elegant neck, struggling with the delicate clasp for a second. God, he loved her more than he could even express. But he bit down on his lip, stopping himself from saying it out loud. He refused to scare her away by saying it too soon. But there was no way he was going to be able to keep it in for much longer.

He felt her shiver before she turned around, a dazed kind of look on her face. "Do you want your present?"

He refrained from saying duh. He loved presents. "Of course."

She handed him a bag with a nervous look on her face, which was pointless because he wasn't sure that it was possible for him to be disappointed with her. He dug into the bag until his fingers touched two things. He pulled out the cool rectangle first, revealing a beautifully framed picture of him and Spencer at 6 or 7, hugging in knee length green grass. "Spence," he whispered, his finger grazing over their faces.

"Which one is it?" She reached for his hand.

He met her hand halfway and gave it a gentle squeeze. "The picture."

_The air tickled his nose as he ran through the sun soaked field behind his house, pulling Spencer behind him. Emily would probably think they would hide deeper in the field, but they were going to trick her and hide right by his house. "You okay, Spencer?"_

_"Yes!" She giggled, tightening her grip on his hand. "Just don't let me run into a tree, Superman!"_

_"I got you," he said importantly, pulling her to a stop right behind his house. They were still in bounds, because they hadn't left the field, but Emily would look here last. He was sure of it._

_"Toby?"_

_Before he could ask her what was up she had wrapped her arms around him. If it had been anyone else he would have thought it was gross, but with Spencer it felt right. He was already home, but this felt different. It felt like being wrapped up in the warm blanket his mom just pulled out of the dryer. It felt like being cozy in bed with a cup of hot chocolate. It just felt right._

He didn't know until a few years ago that his mom had snapped that picture, but it had quickly become one of his favorites. "This is perfect, Spence."

"The other one is better," she giggled, sounding eerily similar to the little girl of his memories.

He squeezed her fingers before pulling out a square, velvet box. Had she gotten him jewelry? He couldn't imagine himself wearing anything like that, but if Spencer had picked it out he would wear it every single day. He opened the box with a snap and immediately sucked in a deep breath as he examined a beautiful, silver pocket watch.

"Open it," she said softly.

He nodded, knowing she couldn't see it, but the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. He flipped open the cover and couldn't stop a tear from trailing down his cheek at the elaborately etched words on the lid. _You are my once upon a time. _

He swallowed roughly, leaning in to brush his lips over hers. She leaned into him, losing her wondering fingers in his hear and deepening the kiss. "Toby," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you," he murmured, pulling his lips away and pressing his forehead to hers. "God, Spencer I love you so much."

She half laughed half sobbed and slid her face down to his neck. "I wanted to say that first."


	10. Chapter 10

**This is super short, I just wanted to set you up for what's coming next. :) REVIEW because my dropping reviews are making me so sad :(.**

Chapter 10

SPOV

She pulled her graduation gown over her thin frame and smoothed it down. It didn't matter what she looked like. This was a day that she never thought would come, and she couldn't be more excited or proud of herself.

_She tilted her head down, turning her face away from the angry voices. She just wanted to learn to play the piano._

_"Excuse me? You thought a blind girl would be the typical student? She can't see! How is she supposed to do anything?"_

_How is she supposed to do anything. How **was **she supposed to do anything? She couldn't see. She couldn't even see. A hot tear trailed down her cheek, but she brushed it away almost as quickly as it appeared. No one else needed to know how upset she was._

_She could hear her mother's angry response, but she wasn't listening. She kept her face trained down._

_How was she supposed to do anything?_

She might have only been 8, but she never forgot those words. When it stopped hurting it quickly became motivating. How was she supposed to do anything? Sit back and watch her destroy every obstacle that crossed her path. She would succeed. She would prove everyone who doubted her wrong. She would accomplish everything she set out to do, both for herself and for every other blind kid that was ever told that their disability defined them.

And today she was one step closer to doing it.

"Spencer!" Hanna sang from somewhere behind her. "It's time to make you beautiful!"

Emily sighed. "Run, Spencer! Playing Barbie with Hanna is about the exact opposite of fun."

She shrugged. It was the last chance she had to impress the plebeians she went to high school with. And it never hurt to look good for her boyfriend. "Why not?"

Hanna's hands were almost immediately on her arms, pushing her against the bed. She yelped as she yanked on her hair. "Ouch!"

"Stop whining," she laughed. "You know that Toby will like it."

She never thought that she'd be the kind of person that primped for a boy, but Toby was shattering everything that she had originally believed about herself. For the first time in her life she felt strong. She felt wanted, and maybe she felt a little beautiful. It was all because of him. So if Hanna was right she could handle a little discomfort. She owed Toby everything.

_She curled up on her bed letting her glasses slide off of her face. Tyrion curled up next to her, licking her tear stained face. "Shh," she murmured. But she couldn't bring herself to push him away. At least someone gave a shit about her._

_"Why would you possibly think that it was okay to say something like that?"_

_She cringed. She hadn't even realized that Toby was still there._

_"I don't understand why you always insist on getting involved in things that are clearly no your concern, Toby." Melissa's voice was significantly less angry, but it was still much more harsh than the situation called for._

_"Not my concern?" Toby characteristically employed a calm demeanor, but he sounded livid. "I'm not going to sit back and listen to you destroy my best friend. And the pathetic thing is, I'm having to tell you not to say unkind things to your sister. You should be the one defending her, but apparently basic sibling responses are lost on you."_

_She heard her door squeaking, and she felt Tyrion shift as he looked up to see who was coming in. She didn't move, slowing down her breathing, hoping that she could make him believe that she was asleep. Because there was literally no one else in the world it could be besides Toby._

_His hand gently enclosed around her shoulder. "Spencer, I know you're awake, but I'm not going to force you to talk to me. But I just wanted to tell you one thing. No matter what she says to you, no matter what anyone tries to make you feel, you're an incredible person. And- you're never alone. Not even for a second."_

At 16 she should have known that there was no one else in the world for her besides Toby Cavanaugh. But she had him now, and she was never letting him go.

"Perfect," Hanna sighed, stepping back. "It's a french braid down the sides, up in the back, and some curls framing your face. And your dress is red. You look perfect!"

"Guys," Emily whispered. "We're really graduating."

Hanna snorted. "Don't get sentimental, Em. We're also all going to Hollis."

"Yeah, but..." Emily's words trailed off. "Toby we told you to wait downstairs. You've officially shattered the illusion."

She perked up at Toby's name. He didn't respond to her, but she felt his hands on her arms, confirming his presence. She couldn't see him, but she would always know his touch. His loving, gentle hands on her skin was one of her favorite feelings in the world. It was funny. She always knew that she would show everyone how wrong they were about her. She was blind but that wasn't all that she was. She knew that she was more than blind, but it took Toby's loving her for her to realize that maybe she was actually worth that love. "Hi," she whispered, her lips stretching into a soft smile.

He brushed his nose over hers in his signature Eskimo kiss. "You look beautiful."

"Okay," Hanna laughed. "That's my cue to get out of here. Come on, Em."

She assumed that Toby's drawing her closer meant that Emily and Hanna had vacated her room. "What are you wearing?" She whispered into his neck.

"Khakis and a blue button down. My mom said that it brought out my eyes." He murmured, ducking down to kiss her lips. "I'm doubtful."

She laughed quietly. "I think your crayon colored eyes would look good in anything, if I'm being honest." She paused. "Toby, I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered before kissing her again.

She could practically feel his tension, so she reached up and brushed a gentle hand over his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm," he hummed. "That's actually a perfect opening. I have to ask you something, and I'm not sure how you'll react."

"Ask," she encouraged, squeezing his hand.

He was still tense, but she felt him nod. "I was wondering if maybe- do you maybe want to find a place together next year?"

Now she was tense, but not because she was appalled. Living with Toby would actually be a relief. She didn't want to be a burden on Hanna and Emily, but Toby had proven to her that he would love her no matter what. She didn't think that she could make him stop if she tried. But if they lived together he would see her bed head in the mornings. He would find her tampons in the cabinet, and he would see her when she was at her best and her worst. Was she ready for that?

He took her silence as a negative response. "If you don't want to it's okay. I just thought that maybe it could be good, but I'm okay if-"

He was the most adorable human being on the planet. She reached up and covered his mouth with her cool fingers. "Yes."

"Really?" He sounded both happy and disbelieving. "Are you sure? If you'd rather live with Hanna-"

She cut him off with a kiss this time, leaning in and losing her fingers in his hair. "I'm sure," she whispered as she pulled away, smiling against his lips.

College was going to be great.


End file.
